O/T: More Discusting

[Dave in Houston]

The Houston Chronicle reported in today's issue that Officer Powell has resigned from the Dallas Police Department.

Dave in Houston

[Lew Hodgett]

Powell's resignation was, IMHO, a foregone conclusion; however, a much larger question remains unanswered.

During training and evaluation by the Dallas PD, what part of the psychological evaluation process failed to reveal Powell's weakness's and their resultant affect on his ability to perform the assigned task.

Lew .

[Lee Michaels]

"Lew Hodgett" wrote

------------------- In other words, why didn't they notice he was a bully?

I have had some interactions with the police where I called something in and gave them the necessary information. And they still felt compelled to bully me around. I thought I was back in grade school dealing with a schoolyard bully. The demenor, the voice, the body language. it was all there. I kept thinking, if the good guys get treated this way, what happens to the poor bastards who actually did something wrong.

[Upscale]

And another question. Why or how was the video released? In the US, does the public at large automatically have access to all such recorded material? You'd figure that anything sensitive or perhaps waiting to go before the courts would be screened before it was released for access.

A video like that would be highly unlikely to see the light of day in Canada. Maybe that's a fault in the Canadian justice system, but that's not the question in this case.

[LRod]

Depending on the state, such material is considered public records, and as such, must be made available on request. Any federal material like that is covered by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and is simlilarly available on request so long as it doesn't compromise national security (a sometimes loosely applied condition for either refusing a request or the forwarding of a highly redacted version of a record).

The dynamic between your police and citizenry is quite different from ours and is widely acknowledged. That doesn't mean you're immune to rogue, power corrupted, asshole police officers, and the phenomenon doesn't directly relate to your comment, either, I suppose, but it is worth noting.

As a side note, the more I think about this incident, the madder I get. Throw out all the arguments (however valid or not) about whether it was a legitimate stop, whether race might or might not have been involved, whether impending death of a parent constitutes an exigency rising to the level to permit the transgression of law, or even the confirming reports by hospital personnel about the M-i-L's condition. Once Powell completed the paper work, he didn't just turn Moats loose to attend to his family--in the height of irony he wasted even more time to lecture him on attitude.

If there's someone out there who doesn't get what was wrong in thiis whole thing and who wants to leap to the defense of Powell, all you need to consider is that final "lecture." That was for Powell, not Moats. That was the boot to the throat.

Although I sort of doubt Powell is capable of such introspection, I sincerely hope the memory of that particular act in light of Moats' lost opportunity to say goodbye burns with him for the rest of his life.

Someone else said it, but I think it's true--his apology was likely not based on that he did it, but that he got caught.

[Robatoy]

My guess would be that in Powell's mind, such as it is, he lost his job because of a black man. That makes him even more dangerous.

[-MIKE-]

There's a fine line between being a racist and accusing a man of being a racist without ever having spoken with him.

[Robatoy]

So far Powell has done all the talking I want to hear from him. I think odds are good that a white man would have received different treatment from that cop. And that little pearl of wisdom "There's a fine line between being a racist and accusing a man of being a racist" has no foundation whatsoever in relation to my person or personal observations. Don't go moving that line, bro'.

[MikeWhy]

So far Powell has done all the talking I want to hear from him. I think odds are good that a white man would have received different treatment from that cop. And that little pearl of wisdom "There's a fine line between being a racist and accusing a man of being a racist" has no foundation whatsoever in relation to my person or personal observations. Don't go moving that line, bro'.

====== One man's rabid racist is another's right thinking man. What do you think of them apples? Nobody I know admits to the any of the whatever-ist labels we throw about so carelessly.

(Sometimes, I just like playing with flammable fluids. ;)

[-MIKE-]

Oh, my bad. I didn't realize you've had personal interaction with the man.

[Tim Daneliuk]

Knowing Robatoy, this no doubt involved midgets and rich Corinthian leather ...

[-MIKE-]

The only point I'm trying to make is that there is nothing in the video to warrant the race card. Are there racist cops? Of course there are, there racist people everywhere.

If you videotaped a few of my interactions with the police, they would play almost identically to what you see on that tape... and even worse. White cops, white me.

Were the cops racist? How should I know. Were the cops on a power trip? Yes.

All I saw on that tape as a cop on a power trip.

I hate racism. I've quit jobs because of it. I'm the first to defend victims of racism. I'm the first to throw the race card... when warranted.

I'm also VERY careful with it.

[Robatoy]

You forgot the multi-coloured pipe cleaners.

[FrozenNorth]

Did I miss that sale at IKEA again? ;-)

[Robatoy]

Your first clue was correct. I didn't have personal reaction with that man. Heard what he had to say though. I also heard what Churchill had to say.

[-MIKE-]

Do you have a link where I could hear/read it?

[Upscale]

You're right, but after listening and watching the whole affair on video, there's the immediate tendency one has to vilify Powell. And, considering the responses so far, most everybody expects the worst from the man. If not having any racist tendencies, then at the very best, he was unfeeling and a poor role model for a police officer. (former police officer)

[Mike Marlow]

Oh man - do I ever disagree with that statement. My personal observations, both from being stopped by a cop, and from watching them deal with other people, is that color is of no consequence. There is a certain power trip thing that seems to be at work, and the lectures and the posture of presiding over the individual seems to be standard form for cops.

-Mike- [e-mail]

[Robatoy]

I was just agreeing with the OP. Post # 1. But I suppose that OP had nothing to do with racism.

In general, an asshole cop will be one regardless of the 'perp's' colour. That much I agree with. I love that we're all 'perps' now. In this news group, when somebody comments how awful it was that some white guy dragged some black guy behind his pick-up truck, along a country road, till the black man dies, and then I suggest it could have been racially motivated (Duhhh), that somehow makes me eligible as a racist as well...by 'some standard'? That's more than just a little too screwed up for my tastes. I just love it when people spray the country-side with sanctimonious self-righteousness.

[Robatoy]

DAGS